Bhansali held, released for mishap on sets

DECEMBER 12: Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and two others were arrested on Monday and released on bail in connection with the d...

DECEMBER 12: Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and two others were arrested on Monday and released on bail in connection with the death of an attendant and injury to another person on the sets of Devdas at Filmcity Goregaon, on Sunday.

Bhansali, Manu Gautam and Amber Lal have been charged under Sections 304, 338 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code by the Aarey sub-police station. They were released on bail this morning after their arrest on Monday.

The incident took place when Deendayal Yadav died after his head got lodged in a huge pedestail fan on the film’s sets. The attendent who was injured, Raju Yadav, has been admitted to hospital.

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Deputy Commissiner of Police (Zone IX) Bipin Bihari says Deendayal was mutilated by the six-foot-long fan blades whirring at 1,400-1,500 rotations per minute. Both Deenadyal and Raju were trying to hold the fan steady when the mishap took place.

It occurred at 4.30 am, when the production unit was shooting a stormy scene. Shooting for the film started at 8 pm on December 8 and was supposed to end at 5 am the following morning. Usually four attendants are deployed to hold these fans in place. In this case, only two people were doing the job, police say. The fans and manpower were supplied by Mahindra Yadav and Dinesh Yadav of Tiranga Enterprises, which ahs also been named in the First Information Report.